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‘Radio Free’ Montone: Election? What Did He Say?

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If you’re one of the millions of listeners who wakes up each morning to 1010 WINS, you’re likely familiar with the voice, and tone, of the station’s intrepid reporter John Montone.

Best known for his no holds barred, man on the street reporting, Montone has been getting in the faces — and ears — of New Yorkers for what seems like an eternity.

Montone is ready to add to his repertoire and bring his unique reporting style to print.

So please take a look and listen to John’s new venture: Radio Free Montone — a weekly blog where Montone takes you behind the scenes of news radio in New York City, and gives his observations on reporting in the greatest city in the world.

NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – I was a young radio newsman working for a station in what we used to call the sticks of Jersey, a station whose signal turned to static three blocks to the east or west. It hardly mattered. I was living my dream.

It was an early December morning in 1981 in our small newsroom when the bells of our clicking, clacking AP news wire began ringing with the news that 27 days after the polls had closed, a recount of the votes made Tom Kean, the Governor-elect.

I ripped the bulletin and ran for the studio where a D.J. who called himself Steve “Breakfast Table,” ha ha, nodded solemnly when I told him to put down The Beach Boys because we had breaking news.

And that is when I informed our listeners that, “The longest ERECTION in state history is over.” I knew I said it when I said it, but I did not correct myself. Instead I filled in the story and shuffled back to the newsroom feeling ashamed.

And then the phones began to ring. More shame as each listener (I was surprised so many people were actually listening), informed me of my error. “You said ERECTION.” “I heard the word ERECTION on my radio. Was that you?”

And I felt more shame as I drove home; grocery-shopped; ate dinner and tried to sleep. I was that guy who said ERECTION instead of ELECTION!

Three decades later, I was a not-so-young radio newsman reporting that a prominent New York City democrat might be running for mayor. And because his name is Weiner and I wondered out loud if this was just, “Premature speculation.” After all Weiner had “pulled out,” of the field of possible candidates after we reported that he had Tweeted a picture of his…”namesake.”

His name — in case you’ve forgotten — is Weiner.

And then there was the young lady I interviewed in Times Square who said what I said 30 years ago, ERECTION, instead of ELECTION. But she meant it and she laughed when she said it and felt none of the shame I had felt. You see now we can say ERECTION on the radio and all those other punny things as well.